RESEARCH - Citrullination is an inflammation-dependent process

October 5, 2006

Ann Rheum Dis. 2006 Sep;65(9):1219-22. Epub 2006 Mar 15.

Citrullination is an inflammation-dependent process.

Makrygiannakis D, af Klint E, Lundberg IE, Lofberg R, Ulfgren AK, Klareskog

L, Catrina AI.

Department of Medicine, Rheumatology Unit, CMM, L8-04, Karolinska University

Hospital, Solna, S-17176 Stockholm, Sweden.

OBJECTIVES: To study the presence of citrullinated proteins in inflammatory

conditions and in clinically non-affected tissues of controls. METHODS:

Synovial biopsy specimens from 19 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 10

healthy controls were investigated by immunohistochemistry. Additionally,

muscle tissue from 5 patients with polymyositis and from 7 healthy controls,

intestinal tissue from macroscopically affected and non-affected areas from

10 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and tonsil tissues from 4

chronically inflamed tonsils were studied. RESULTS: Citrullinated proteins

were present in all synovial biopsy specimens from patients with rheumatoid

arthritis, whereas only three of 10 healthy synovial biopsy specimens showed

scarce amounts of citrullination. Citrullination was also present in all

myositis-affected muscles, whereas it was absent in the muscle tissues of

controls. All tonsil biopsy specimens studied were positive for citrulline.

Even though more frequently detected in the macroscopically affected colonic

areas, no marked difference was observed in the pattern or extent of

citrullination between the macroscopically affected and non-affected

intestinal IBD tissues.

CONCLUSION: Citrullination is present in a wide range of inflammatory

tissues, suggesting that this process is inflammation dependent rather than

disease dependent.

PMID: 16540548

6540548

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

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